UP by CBD. Business banking SMEs actually open.
Overview. UP by CBD is Commercial Bank of Dubai’s digital banking service for small and micro businesses. I designed the website from scratch: a modern, high-trust experience that explains business banking simply and gets accounts opened fast.
Banking language that overwhelmed small business owners
The platform had to solve real pain points: complicated business-account opening, unclear SME products, low trust in digital onboarding, poor mobile optimisation and financial language that scared entrepreneurs off.
The objective: a clean, conversion-focused, high-trust site that positions UP as fast and reliable — backed by CBD.
From IA to a neon-green design system
As the UX/UI designer I led the whole experience — information architecture and user flows through high-fidelity UI and the design system — working closely with stakeholders and developers.
- UX strategy & research: SME personas, onboarding journeys, simplified content structure
- Information architecture for products, solutions, pricing and onboarding
- Interactive wireframes for account opening, product exploration and service comparison
- High-contrast visual system: dark backgrounds, neon-green accents, CBD’s authority with a startup feel
- Component library: buttons, cards, step modules, trust sections, CTA blocks
- Conversion-focused hero, trust statements and action-driven layouts; fully responsive
Open your business account in minutes
A clear 3-step account-opening flow reduced friction and built confidence. Trust-centred design surfaced CBD backing and credibility statements; financial jargon became benefit-driven messaging about speed, control and flexibility — all inside a modern financial aesthetic of dark UI, depth and product-focused visuals.
Outcome. Business banking that feels fast and trustworthy.
